FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – The in-person voter registration deadline in Connecticut has been moved back to Thursday at 8 p.m. due to Hurricane Sandy, a release from Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office said.

“Safety is our top priority and the best thing to do to ensure that nobody is disenfranchised because of the storm is to extend the deadline until after the hurricane has passed,” Malloy said in the release.

“With so many government and school closures, it is really best if voters stay home and stay safe over the next couple of days as this major storm impacts Connecticut,” Denise Merrill, secretary of the state, Connecticut’s chief elections official, said in the release.

Malloy signed the executive order Sunday night to push the deadline back, the release said. The deadline was originally Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m.